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Im trying to chose between Fordham Law and St. John's Law. I plan on commuting to both and living at home for as long as possible to reduce COL.

I am receiving around 10k a Fordham and I would be on a full ride at SJU.

If I go to Fordham, the COA will be financed through federal loans, which will be close to 50k a year.

GPA 3.7 LSAT 160

Im looking for advice on whether it would be better to take out loans and go to Fordham or take the Full Ride from SJU.

Thanks.

goals?

Interested in big law but but I am reluctant based on what I have heard the lifestyle is like. I feel that if I go to Fordham that I will definitely need that type of salary to pay off the loans.

You need to retake the LSAT

hansolo2016 wrote:Interested in big law but but I am reluctant based on what I have heard the lifestyle is like. I feel that if I go to Fordham that I will definitely need that type of salary to pay off the loans.

Retake.

You gotta retake. SJU is an absolute no go at <10% BigLaw. Fordham is not as bad since the placement is decent, but at 10K a year you're looking at debt in probably the 250K range (rough estimate, no one yell at me) and that's just not worth it.

Retake. Chances of getting biglaw at St. Johns are close to nil, and the chances at Fordham are nowhere near high enough to take on over 200K (which given the average lifespan of a biglaw associate you will not be able to pay off even if you live like a pauper).

Yup, I agree with the other responders.

With a 3.7 you are looking at 7 more points for Cornell. I tried to find Fordham applicants in your GPA range who got high scholarships but up to the 167 LSAT band I can only find ~$20k/yr averages. Interestedly enough Cornell offers nearly as much for the same students. I'm not sure if those numbers include need-based aid (which at Fordham may be quite significant) but Fordham has a reputation of being less generous with financial offers overall.



In short, neither of the current offers make sense for your goals. Don't take the gamble here. If you are feeling saucy, buy a lottery ticket. As you watch your hostess of choice drag those tiny white balls, imagine they represent the students in the class of 2019 at St. Johns. Your chances at landing big law from there are roughly the same, not withstanding the skewing of the reported numbers due to diversity, IP, or prior connections, of course.